Idiom: test the water(s)

Meaning

Idiom: test the water(s)

to try something to see if you like it or it is suitable
to find out people's opinions or how they will react

Example sentences

— Now that our son's a teenager, he sometimes tests the water with us before sharing his ideas with his friends.

— I'd test the waters with a fundraiser first before launching your political campaign.

— I’m testing the waters to see if having a photo on my CV makes any difference.

— Before you quit your job and start a consulting business I recommend you test the waters with one or two clients.

— We're testing the water to see what our parishioners think about having online church services.

— We should have tested the water before offering staff the possibility of working from home. It's going to be difficult to change the policy back now.

— My children are testing the waters by disobeying us regarding using their phones at night.

— Well, it's natural for children to begin testing the waters when they are teenagers.

— Whenever you launch a brand new product, you have to test the waters in a variety of ways before moving to full production.

— Well, we tested the waters and the new fragrance was widely disapproved.

Synonyms

take a crack at something
try something out
feel out
put out a feeler

Idiom: test the water(s)

Meaning

Example sentences

Synonyms

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